The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-01-06
How Lightning IS KlndIed.

The observations of meteorologistS.
says the Electrical ReUieIO, show that
the vapor which ascends in an invisi-
bic shape from the ground carries with
il. in calm and fine weather, into the
region of the air, a very considerable
supply of positive electricity. Each
minute vapor particle that goes up bears
its own portion of the load. When.
however, the invisible vapor has thus
mounted into very high regions of the
air it loses its invisibility, and is con-
densed into visible mist Numerous
particles of the aqueous substance are
drawn close together and grouped into
the form of little vesicles or globules.
Each one of these is then 3 reservoir or
receptacle of electrical force, and as
more and more electricity is collected in
the gathering mist; but each of the
water globules is still enyeloped by q
space of clear air.
In drifting cloud the mist specks
can be discerned floating along With
transparent intervals between. The
clear air which lies around the globules
of vapor then acts as an insulating in
vestment; it imprisons its own part of
the acquired electrical force in each
separate globule. The cloud is thus
not charged as a whole, like a continu-
Gus mass of metal. with its electricity
spread upon its outer surface. 1t is in
terpenetrated everywhere with the
force. 1t is composed of q myriad of
electrified specks, each having its own
particular share of the electric force.
and each acting as a center of electrical
energy on its own account. The cleo
tricity which at any one instant resides
in the outer surface of cloud is, there
fore, but comparative small portion of
that which Is present in the entire vap-
orous mass.
That such is the way in which cleo
tr1city is stored in the clouds has been
proven by direct observation. When a
gold leaf electrometer is placed in the
midst of a cloud driven along by the
wind it is seen that the strips of gold
leaf continually diverge and collapse as
the mass of the cloud passes along.
There is an electrical charge acting in
all parts. but the charge varies in in
tensity from place to place, accordingly
as there is a greater or less condensa-
ton of the particles of vapor in each
particular spot But the influence ex-
ternally exerted by the cloud is never
theless capable of being raised to a
very intense degree, because it is, SO to
speak, the sum total or outcome of the
ternal centers of energy.
1t is no uncommon thing for the cleo
trIcal force emanating from a cloud 10
make itself felt in attractions and re-
pulsions many miles away. Clouds
resting on the remote horizon thus fire.
quently produce perceptible effects ut
distances from which the clouds them
selves can not be seen. An electrical
cloud hanging a mile above the ground
acts inductlvely upon the ground with
considerable power. When i'll summer
time the temperature of the earth's sur
face is very high. the ground moist. the
air calm. and sky clear. very copiOus
supplies of yapOr are steamed up from
the ground under the hot sunshine.
Clouds, however, begin ut length to
gather in elevated regions of the air
out of the abundance of the supply.
| The free electricity which has been car
ried up with the vapor is ut first pretty
evenly spread through the clouds; but
after time, as the electrical charge be-
comes more and more intense, a power
| ful reDulsivc force is in the end estab-
| lished between the spheruleS of the
mist, and a very high degree of tension
is at last produced AT tie outer surface
of the cloud, where ii is enveloped by
| insulating air. until in the end tine ex-
pansive energy there becomes strong
enough to occasion an outburst fTom
the cloud. The escape of the redundant
charge t.ien appears To an Observer
| eye as IA flash of lightning issuing from
| the cloud. Such, in its simplest form,
| is the way in which lightning is kindled
| in the siOrm-clOud.